Action Alert: Columbia– Ruta Pacifica de las Mujeres Rejects Threats Of Paramilitary Group
Note: See below for addresses to send protests.
Press Release:
“There are 17 women among the 27 persons who have been threatened.
Bogota, 14 March. Last Wednesday, 12 March, at 5:47 p.m., a message arrived through the mail to the National Coordinator of the Ruta Pacifica de las Mujeres, Marina Gallego, threatening her death and that of 26 other individuals, among whom are 17 women, which points out the exacerbation of violence in our country against the life and bodies of women.
Ruta Pacifica de las Mujeres, as a feminist, pacifist and anti-militarist movement, denounces and repudiates the threats of which our National Coordinator has been the object. This is not an isolated situation, as the attempt is being made to make it appear. Rather, it is owing to our political posture in demanding truth, justice and reparation for women who are victims of the armed conflict, a political and negotiated resolution to the conflict, and our rejection of war. In keeping with the above, we mobilized on 4 February and 6 March wearing t-shirts bearing the slogan” “Not any war in my name.”
We point out the responsibility of the presidential adviser, Jose Obdulio Gaviria, for stigmatizing the organizations and people who participated in the 6 March mobilization, judging us to be FARC sympathizers, which is possibly what facilitated this sort of threat.
We accompany the women and men who are being threatened, today more than ever, and we call on the organizations that are defenders of human rights, on political parties, the international community, and the regional, national and international media to make these facts known, to reject them, and to exert social and political pressure to preclude this sort of situation from recurring.
Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres Coordinación Nacional
Regional Bolívar
Regional Antioquia,
Regional Santander
Regional Bogotá
Regional Risaralda
Regional Chocó
Regional Cauca
Regional Putumayo
Regional Valle del Cauca
Translation: Trisha Novak, USA
***************************
Colombia: direcciones de marzo del 2008/adresses March 2008
Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República,
Cra. 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Fax:+57.1.566.20.71
E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
Sr. Francisco Santos, Vicepresidente de la República,
Téls. (+571) 334.45.07, (+57310) 7720130,
E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co; buzon1@presidencia.gov.co
Programa DDHH de Vicepresidencia: /Human Rights
ppdh@presidencia.gov.co
Observatorio DDHH de Vicepresidencia:
obserdh@presidencia.gov.co
Dr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz, Defensor del Pueblo: /Ombudsman
Calle 55 # 10-32, Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.640.04.91 E-mail:
secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co
Doctor Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana, Fiscal General de la Nación:
Diagonal 22-B # 52-01, Bogotá.
Fax: + 57.1.570.20.00 ; +57.1.414.90.00
Extensión 1113, E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co;
denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón, Procurador General de la Nación:
Cra. 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49 Fax: +57.1.342.97.23;
E-mail: cap@procuraduria.gov.co, E-mail:
quejas@procuraduria.gov.co; webmaster@procuraduria.gov.co;
cap@procuraduria.gov.co; reygon@procuraduria.gov.co;
anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co
Dr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Ministro de la Defensa:
Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.222.18.74;
E-mail: siden@mindefensa.gov.co; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co;
mdn@cable.net.co
Dr. Carlos Franco, Director del Programa Presidencial de Derechos
Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario (DIH).
Clle 7 N° 5–54 Bogotá, D.C.
Fax. 337 46 67.
E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co,
Dr. Carlos Holguin Sardi, Ministro del Interior y de Justicia:
Avenida El dorado con carrera 52 CAN Bogotá D.C.,
Fax. 2221874,
ministro@minjusticia.gov.co
Misión Permanente de Colombia ante las Naciones Unidas en Ginebra. /ONU, Geneva
mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
Dr. Fernando Ibarra, Asesor del Programa Presidencial de Derechos
Humanos y de DIH.
fibarra@presidencia.gov.co
Sra. Noemí Sanin Posada, Embajadora de Colombia en España, Embajada de
Colombia - General Martínez Campos, 48.
28010 - Madrid
Teléfono: 34 917004770
fax: 34 91 3102869
Embajada Colombiana secretaria
Filed under: Uncategorized, Sheroes, Militarism, Misogyny, Gender-Based Violence
Here is the Ruta’s official translation, which is a bit easier to read if you’re going to repost or forward (please do!)
We request support and solidarity
in response to the threats from
the “Black Eagles” paramilitary group
• 17 of the 27 people threatened are women
Bogotá, Colombia. March 17. Last Wednesday, March 12th, at 5:47 pm we received an email signed by the paramilitary group calling itself the “Black Eagles”. In the email they threaten organizations that work for peace and human rights for having participated in the march on March 6th. They name 27 people, including 17 women. Marina Gallego, the national coordinator of the Ruta Pacifica de Mujeres (Women’s Peaceful Way), is one of those threatened.
The Ruta Pacifica de Mujeres is a feminist pacifist antimilitarist movement. We participated in the marches of February 4th and March 6th wearing t-shirts that said “No war in my name”, to express our longstanding political demands for truth, justice and reparations for women victims of the armed conflict, for a political and negotiated solution to the conflict, and our rejection of war.
We strongly reject these threats by the Black Eagles paramilitary group. These threats make it clear that paramilitary groups are still active in Colombia.
We hold presidential adviser José Obdulio Gaviria responsible. He stigmatized the organizations and individuals that participated in the March 6th march by claiming that all were FARC sympathizers. This made this sort of threat more likely.
We ask the international community, media, human rights and peace organizations to show solidarity by writing to the Colombian government and insisting that they investigate this incident and provide protection for the threatened organizations and individuals.
Please send letters to:
(with bcc copies of emails to: rutapacifica@rutapacifica.org.co
and copies of snail mail to: carr 35 #53ª-86, Bogotá, Colombia)
PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA
ÁLVARO URIBE VÉLEZ
CARRERA 8 NO. 7 -26 PALACIO DE NARIÑO
FAX. 5662071 BOGOTÁ
EMAIL auribe@presidencia.gov.co
CANCILLERIA DE COLOMBIA
DR. FERNANDO ARAUJO
TEL. (+57) 5662008
FAX. (+57) 5662008
EMAIL cancilleria@cancilleria.gov.co
MINISTERIO DEL INTERIOR Y JUSTICIA
DR. CARLOS HOLGUIN SARDI
CARRERA 9A. NO. 14-10, D.C.
TEL. PBX (+57) 444 31 00
FAX. (+57) 3751077
EMAIL vicejusticia@mij.gov.co
VICEPRESIDENCIA DE LA REPUBLICA
FRANCISCO SANTOS CALDERÓN
CARRERA 8 NO.7-57 BOGOTÁ.
TEL (+57) 1 242 2141.
FAX (+57) 1 342 3513
EMAIL fsantos@presidencia.gov.co
DEFENSOR DEL PUEBLO
WOLMAR ANTONIO PÉREZ ORTIZ
CALLE 55 NO. 10 – 32 BOGOTÁ D.C.
FAX. (+057) 640 04 91
EMAIL defensoria@defensoria.org.co;
PROCURADOR GENERAL DE LA NACIÓN
Edgardo José Maya Villazòn
CRA. 5 NO.15 – 80F BOGOTÁ D.C.
EMAIL: reygon@procuraduría.gov.co
FOR EMAIL EASE YOU CAN CUT AND PASTE TO:
AURIBE@PRESIDENCIA.GOV.CO; CANCILLERIA@CANCILLERIA.GOV.CO; VICEJUSTICIA@MIJ.GOV.CO; FSANTOS@PRESIDENCIA.GOV.CO; DEFENSORIA@DEFENSORIA.ORG.CO; REYGON@PROCURADURÍA.GOV.CO
PLEASE SEND A COPY, BCC, TO: RUTAPACIFICA@RUTAPACIFICA.ORG.CO
(NOTE THAT SOME OF THESE EMAILS WILL BOUNCE WHEN FULL)